In previously known techniques for treating injured persons situated in a hazardous area, medical personnel have administered assistance to the individual in the hazardous area. Also, it has been necessary for medical personnel to transport equipment such as oxygen storage tanks, electrocardiogram monitoring units and the like into the hazardous area. There are numerous disadvantages inherent in treating patients in this manner.
For example, previously where an individual requiring medical attention was trapped in a partially collapsed building, underground passageway or the like, medical personnel remained in the partially collapsed structure to administer the necessary treatment to the individual. Since the attending medical personnel were in the collapsed structure for a prolonged period of time, it was more likely that they would be seriously injured due to a further collapse of the structure. Also, commonly under these circumstances medical personnel were required to traverse partially supported or unsupported terrain to reach the individual needing medical assistance. The additional weight of the equipment and the personnel to carry the same significantly increased the risk of further collapse of the structure resulting in injury to the person or persons trapped therein as well as the assisting medical personnel.
Another example of where medical personnel must administer aid to an individual located in a hazardous region is when a tractor trailer hauling a toxic substance is involved in an accident injuring the driver or any passengers therein. If the toxic substance is leaking from the trailer compartment, the area immediately surrounding the trailer is designated a "hot" zone. In this zone, the harmful effects or the toxic substance are greatest and thus the time an individual remains in this area must be kept to a minimum. The area removed from the tractor trailer a distance sufficient to render negligible the harmful effects of the toxic substance is designated as the "safe" zone. The area between the "safe" zone and the "hot" zone is designated as the "warm" zone. Conventionally, medical personnel appropriately attired entered the "hot" zone and immediately moved any individuals needing medical attention to the "warm" zone where the appropriate assistance was administered. Equipment such as oxygen tanks and electrocardiogram monitoring units were positioned adjacent the patient in the "warm" zone. Thus, these techniques exposed the medical personnel as well as the equipment to the harmful effects of the toxic substance. Although the medical personnel are appropriately attired, they may still encounter some side effects from the toxic substance. Furthermore, the equipment positioned in the "warm" zone becomes contaminated and must later be discarded. Accordingly, significant expenditures must be made to replace the contaminated equipment.
It is readily apparent from the above discussion that conventional techniques for rendering medical assistance to persons located in a hazardous region endanger the safety of the attending medical personnel as well as the person or persons needing medical care. Additionally, these techniques may result in the destruction of costly medical equipment.